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Thorn Elf
The Thorn Elves or Nasdorei (Children of the Thorns in Darnassian) are an offshoot race of Night Elves that live in the Myrkwald of the Kingdom of Varland, in Vildskanor. Historically a reclusive race, the Thorn Elves rarely leave their forest, preferring to remain within and focus on nature. History Culture Appearance Similar to their Night Elven kin, the Nasdorei are relatively tall, ranging from 6 to 7 feet in height and are mostly slim and muscular. However, this is contrasted by their differences in skin tone, eyes and hair colour. Compared to the dark purple skin of the Night Elves, the Thorn Elves have pale, almost gold, skin, while their hair is commonly a dark brown or brown-red. Meanwhile, their eyes are notable for having 'rose-like' pupils, which is believed to result from their worship of the god Törnudan. One again similar to the Kaldorei, the Thorn Elf males have a tendency to grow long, bushy beards and eyebrows. Additionally, many Nasdorei men are large and bulky, similar to the Jötnar of Vildskanor's humans, though the elves believe this is because these men have been gifted with the strength of the bear god, Bjärn. Faith As a sub-race of the Night Elves, the faith of the Nasdorei remains focused around the worship of Elune, though ancestor and Wild God worship is notably more prominent than in 'standard' Kaldorei society. As such, the Nasdorei honour their gods by tending to and protecting the forests of Myrkwald, which houses a number of shrines and temples to both Elune and the Skanoric Wild Gods. Gender Roles Notably, the Thorn Elves have historically lacked the gender roles that were apparent within Night Elven culture before the Third War. Both men and women serve as warriors and casters alike and, similarly, leadership is not restricted to either sex. Despite this, there is still a noticeable divide between the various roles. Within the military, men will commonly take on the close-combat oriented roles, while women serve scouts and archers. Meanwhile, in the priesthood, women remain the primary ones devoted to Elune, while male priests and druids follow the Skanoric Wild Gods. Aging Despite the fact that the Night Elves were able to gain immortality from Nordrassil following the War of the Ancients, the majority of the Nasdorei have lacked this, as a result of their ties to the Great Tree of Nasdrassil instead of the World Tree and thus, the Thorn Elves have similar lifespans to the Quel'dorei, with an average maximum of five thousand years. However, many priests and druids who have had strong ties to the Emerald Dream have managed to live far longer, with some even still living from before the War of the Ancients. Government Historically, the Thorn Elves have been lead in a similar fashion to the Night Elves, by the members of their priesthood. Despite this similarity, the Nasdorei government includes a number of druids and both groups share the role of governance. Another notable change from the Night Elven tradition is that the Nasdorei continue to be ruled by a monarch, King Taranil. Military The military forces of the Nasdorei are known as the Nasoiglad or the Thorns of the Forest. Organised in a similar fashion to the Sentinel Army, the Nasoiglad are notably more focused on 'heavier' forces than the Sentinels, making use of armoured soldiers alongside the usual rangers. Nasgladtíre Meaning the Thornwood Guard, the Nasgladtíre are the heaviest forces employed by the Thorn Elves and consist of warriors armoured in a mix of red and bronze platemail, armed with a variety of melee weapons. The Thorn Warriors serve as the front line of the Nasdorei's defenders, providing an anvil or wall for enemies to break themselves upon. Katselijor Meaning Watchers, the Katselijors are the primary soldiers of the Nasgladtíre. Armed with curved swords and shields, instead of the glaives favoured by their night elven kin, standard tactics for the Katselijors are to form a shieldwall, while other troops support them. Vartijor The elite of the Nasgladtíre, the Vartijors or Keepers are, despite their name, armed quite differently the glaive wielding forces of most other elves. The glaives of the Vartijors are long, spear-like weapons with a blade on each end, that are used to break apart enemy formations. As such, the Vartijor are placed on the flanks the Thorn Elves' forces, supporting the Katselijors. Víregladtíre Rosewood Guards or Víregladtíre are the primary scouts and rangers of the Nasdorei's forces. Equivalent to a Night Elven Sentinel or High Elven Farstrider, the Víregladtíre wear mottled cloaks of autumn and winter colours and are armed with a mix of ranged and melee weapons. These troops serve as the flankers and skirmishers of the Thorn Elves, providing a screen and harassment force for the Nasgladtíre's anvil. Vahtior The Vahtiors or Sentinels are the only troops fielded by the Víregladtíre. Armed with a pair of daggers and a curved bow, the Vahtiors serve as the ranged force for the Nasdorei, with most able to put over ten shots into the air before the first strikes its target. Róvengladtíre The Róvengladtíre or Wildwood Guard are the cavalry forces of the Thorn Elves. Armed with lances and mounted on great moose, the Róvengladtíre are the hammer to the anvil of the Nasgladtíre, outflanking and crushing enemy forces from behind. Landor Lancers or Landors form the forces of the Róvengladtíre. Descended from the huntresses of the kaldorei, the Landors are the Nasdorei's shock forces, armoured in a similar fashion to the Nasgladtíre and mounted upon white moose or stags. Notes Category:Thorn Elf Category:Races Category:Grand Alliance